Potawatomi to build $150 million hotel in Menomonee Valley

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MILWAUKEE -- Potawatomi Bingo Casino announced plans Tuesday to build a $150 million hotel next to its casino in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley.

The proposed hotel will be a four-star hotel with 382 rooms, a full-service spa and a casual dining restaurant. It will add about 230 permanent jobs to the 2,500 already existing at the casino. Another 800 jobs could be created by other local businesses that benefit from visitor, supplier or employer spending.

Potawatomi says the new hotel will be smoke-free and green. It is expected to include a storm water capture system and other water efficiency measures to aid the environment and control long-term costs.

Potawatomi hopes to break ground for the hotel by early summer. Construction is expected to last at least two years. The construction of the hotel alone will generate nearly 1,000 jobs. "This hotel project will create jobs and help boost our economy at a time when it is needed the most," Mike Goodrich with Potawatomi Bingo Casino said.

Potawatomi officials say the casino, theater and restaurants bring in about six million people annually, and they are looking to attract new people to the city. "They are drawing new people in, and to that extent, they are spending money on meals or entertainment or going to the ballpark - those are all pluses for everybody here," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.

The Potawatomi Bingo Casino Hotel will also generate about $10 million in additional revenue for the city and Milwaukee County, Visit Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin through taxes.